Outcome of the 19th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests

E/RES/2024/15View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the Economic and Social Council, under agenda item 18j United Nations Forum on Forests, published in 2024.

What other versions does this mandate have?

4 versions · 2007–2024

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2024	E/RES/2024/15	Outcome of the 19th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests	6,926	16%Compare
2022	E/RES/2022/17	Outcome of the 17th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests	4,419	16%Compare
2020	E/RES/2020/14	Outcome of the 15th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests	2,897	—
2007	E/RES/2006/49	Outcome of the 6th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests	—	–

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

2 entities

Entity	(Sub-)Programme	Title	Total mandates cited	Expenditure
	Subprogramme 8	Sustainable forest management	11
	Subprogramme 7	Forests and the forest industry	14

Historical expenditure covers the complete programme or subprogramme, not this mandate. For an overview of all UN entities and programmes, see UN entities and programmes.

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

2 entities

Entity	(Sub-)Programme	Title	Total mandates cited	Expenditure
	Subprogramme 8	Sustainable forest management	11	—
	Subprogramme 7	Forests and the forest industry	14	—

Historical expenditure covers the complete programme or subprogramme, not this mandate. For an overview of all UN entities and programmes, see UN entities and programmes.

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

1 report · 2025

Year	Symbol	Title		Mandate resolution
2025	E/CN.5/2025/2	Social dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa's Development report of the Secretary-General		E/RES/2024/15

What subjects does this mandate have?

4 subjects

Forest Management International Cooperation Sustainable Development Sustainable Forestry

What’s in this document?

146 operative paragraphs

I.Midterm review of the effectiveness of the international arrangement on forests in achieving its objectives

A.Actions related to the United Nations Forum on Forests and its members

Invites the United Nations Forum on Forests and its members:

To strengthen international cooperation, including North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation, as well as public-private partnerships and cross-sectoral cooperation at all levels, to promote sustainable forest management;

To strive to advance means of implementation, including new and additional financing from all sources for reversing the loss of forest cover, protecting and conserving forests, halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation, restoring degraded forests, enhancing technological collaboration, sharing best practices, and scientific exchange at all levels;

To involve political leaders and high-level officials in international forest-related decision-making processes to help to implement the United Nations forest instrument¹ and the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030² and achieve the global forest goals, and increase efforts to sustainably manage forests, and halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation;

¹See General Assembly resolutions 62/98 and 70/199.

²See General Assembly resolution 71/285.

To highlight the significant contributions of forests and trees outside forests in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular in relation to poverty eradication and food security;

To promote inclusive and participatory decision-making modalities at the national and subnational levels to, inter alia, enable the effective engagement of Indigenous Peoples, local communities and other stakeholders, and promote gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls and mainstream a gender perspective in the implementation of sustainable forest management;

To strengthen the implementation of forest-related national legislation and the provision and mobilization of means of implementation from all sources for sustainable forest management and the achievement of the global forest goals, taking into account the specific challenges faced by developing countries;

To enhance cooperation, coordination, coherence and synergies on forest-related issues at all levels to support implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change³ and the Paris Agreement,⁴ the Convention on Biological Diversity⁵ and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted at the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa,⁶ including the Land Degradation Neutrality Target Setting Programme, in line with their respective mandates;

³United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1771, No. 30822.

⁴Adopted under the UNFCCC in FCCC/CP/2015/10/Add.1, decision 1/CP.21.

⁵United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1760, No. 30619.

⁶Ibid., vol. 1954, No. 33480.

To promote science-policy dialogues to support science-based decision-making on forests at the local, national, regional and global levels;

To promote the effective consideration of traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples as well as local communities in decision-making processes at the local, national, regional and global levels;

To continue facilitating and catalysing access to technical, financial and scientific resources to strengthen the capacity of Forum members to implement sustainable forest management, considering, in particular, the specific challenges faced by developing countries;

B.Actions related to the secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests

Requests the Forum secretariat:

To submit an information paper containing information on its workload, needs and gaps in advance of the twentieth session of the Forum, in 2025, for final consideration at its twenty-first session, in 2026;

To continue to use a hybrid or virtual meeting format, whenever the logistical arrangement is possible, for sharing information with members of the Forum, members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, reginal and subregional partners and major groups and other relevant stakeholders and briefing them on the work and preparations for Forum sessions during the intersessional period, taking into full account the need for inclusivity and transparency for virtual meetings;

To facilitate greater cooperation, coordination, coherence and synergies, and engage technical and financial organizations and other international cooperation mechanisms to enhance the implementation of sustainable forest management and the contribution of forests to address climate change, desertification, land degradation, biodiversity loss, pollution, water scarcity, poverty and food insecurity, among others, considering different national circumstances and the relevant mandates of those organizations;

To improve and regularly share information with Forum national focal points, and permanent missions in New York, through effective communication tools, to inform them of its activities and raise awareness of the multiple economic, social and environmental values and benefits of forests;

To share information with Forum members and partners about changes, accomplishments, as well as challenges affecting the implementation of the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030 and achievement of the global forest goals;

To maximize participation in and efficiency and value of Forum sessions and other meetings by effective allocation of time, resources, facilitation and agenda development, including use of innovative approaches, as feasible;

To report to the Forum at each session on the progress made on the actions that the Forum secretariat has been invited to undertake;

Invites the General Assembly, following the discussion at the twenty-first session of the Forum, in 2026, to consider appropriate resourcing of the Forum secretariat to perform its responsibilities and mandates in an efficient, effective and sustainable manner;

C.Actions related to the Collaborative Partnership on Forests

Invites the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and its member organizations:

To continue to enhance cooperation, coordination, coherence and synergies, including through streamlining reporting and data-sharing, as appropriate, on sustainable forest management and their forest agendas in a holistic and integrated manner, through addressing the interlinkages of climate change, biodiversity loss, desertification and sand and dust storms, land degradation, pollution, drought, watershed management, poverty and food insecurity, among others, taking into account the respective mandates of its members;

To consider focusing the workplan of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests on supporting the implementation of the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030 and the achievement of its global forest goals, as well as other multilaterally agreed forest-related goals, with clear priorities, actions, joint activities, resources, outputs and indicators for assessing progress, and, in this respect, structure reports of the Partnership on its workplan to the Forum around the global forest goals;

To regularly undertake assessments of its completed joint initiatives to identify challenges, successes, lessons learned and the contributions of the joint initiatives to the global forest goals, and share those assessments with its members, members of the Forum and other relevant stakeholders;

To enhance interaction and communication, including through a hybrid format, with members of the Forum, regional and subregional partners, major groups and other relevant stakeholders on its activities by organizing short briefing meetings;

To report to the Forum at each session on the progress made on actions that the Collaborative Partnership on Forests has been invited to undertake;

To conduct an assessment of options to strengthen collaboration within the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and send consistent and supportive messages on the work of the Partnership to their respective governing bodies, and consider funding of the activities of the Partnership, as appropriate;

To engage more actively in the work of the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network;

Invites:

The Forum and its Bureau to proactively reach out to the governing bodies of member organizations of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests to strengthen collaboration and support to the work of the Partnership;

The governing bodies of the members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests to integrate the strategic plan, the global forest goals and associated targets into the plans and operational programmes of work of the members of the Partnership in accordance with their respective mandates and to take mutually beneficial decisions on strengthening the Partnership;

Members of the Forum to support coordination and collaboration among national focal points of member organizations of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests;

Encourages non-United Nations members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, which may be better placed for receiving private sector and philanthropic contributions, to engage with those partners to generate support, including funding for the activities of the Partnership;

D.Actions related to the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network

Invites members of the Forum:

To strive to strengthen the provision and mobilization of and access to new and additional resources from all sources, given the importance of predictability for the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of forests, in particular for developing countries, including through innovative mechanisms;

To support effective realization of the global forest goals, particularly in developing countries, including through promoting, developing and using innovative financial mechanisms, including payments for ecosystem services, blended finance, and sustainable financing policies, as appropriate, recognizing the importance of improved enabling environments for finance and investment;

To foster cooperation and public-private partnerships on science and technology in the forest sector, and engage sectors beyond the forest sector to unlock sustained finance and align financial flows to help to support forest conservation, restoration and sustainable use and management goals;

To recognize, respect and protect forest tenure and/or user rights of both men and women, provide support and foster inclusivity in accessing forest financing, as appropriate, among others, for smallholders, Indigenous Peoples, local communities and the private sector when investing in sustainable forest management;

To consider in national forest financing strategies the distinct needs and roles of different stakeholders;

To use the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network clearing house website as a key source on forest financing, and share their lessons learned and best practices and success stories regarding forest financing for publishing on the clearing house website;

To encourage and facilitate the exchange of experiences of Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network assistance to countries to develop national forest financing strategies, particularly financing mechanisms used, and the results achieved;

Invites members of the Forum in a position to do so, and others, to consider providing voluntary contributions to the trust fund for the United Nations Forum on Forests to scale up the activities of the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network, including its clearing house on forest financing and staffing;

Encourages members of the Forum:

To approach training in forest financing, including for halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation and restoring degraded forests, and supporting the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of all types of forests, as a long-term commitment that benefits from staff consistency and the periodic renewal of skills;

When requesting support from the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network to assist in facilitating their access to funding from various sources, such as the Adaptation Fund, the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility, to promote country ownership and enhance cooperation, including by engaging, as appropriate, with relevant implementing agencies or accredited entities and national focal points and national designated authorities;

Requests the Forum secretariat:

To continue to update and maintain the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network clearing house website and publicize the clearing house “Forest Financing Quarterly Highlight” more widely and prominently on the website of the Forum;

To make use of digital tools and innovative technologies, including artificial intelligence, to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the activities of the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network when feasible;

To support members of the Forum, upon their request, to assist countries in mobilizing, gaining access to and enhancing the effective use of existing financial resources from all sources for sustainable forest management to enhance the achievement of the global forest goals and targets, in line with their national forest priorities;

With a view to informing the Forum at each session of the role, functions and funding of the proposed office of the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network in Beijing, to provide comprehensive written updates on the above-mentioned items, once agreed in line with the mandate of the Network;

Invites the relevant multilateral funds, institutions and their accredited entities such as the Global Environment Facility and the Green Climate Fund to enhance collaboration with the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network, as appropriate and in line with their respective mandates, as a means of supporting and facilitating countries’ access to forest financing;

Encourages members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests that are accredited to the financing institutions to continue cooperation with the Forum secretariat in supporting the work of the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network, including in the facilitation and preparation of project proposals, and mobilization of resources to this end;

E.Actions related to the trust fund for the United Nations Forum on Forests

Invites members of the Forum in a position to do so:

To provide sustainable and consistent voluntary funds to the trust fund to enable the Forum secretariat to perform its functions and activities in support of the work of the Forum, its members and its partners, including a balanced representation of developed and developing countries at Forum-related meetings;

To explore options to attract further voluntary contributions to the trust fund;

F.Actions related to the implementation of the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030

Invites members of the Forum:

To accelerate implementation of the United Nations forest instrument and the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030, attach high priority to achieving all the global forest goals and targets by 2030 and enhance cooperation, coordination, coherence and synergies with other forest-related multilateral environmental agreements and processes;

To increase the visibility of voluntary national contributions⁷ and sharing of successful sustainable forest management cases at all levels, including through online platforms and social networks;

⁷United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030, paras. 30–32.

To enhance international cooperation to support the capacities of developing countries to monitor, assess and report on the implementation of the United Nations forest instrument and the strategic plan;

To enhance intersectoral collaboration at the national level, as well as the contributions and roles of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women, youth, major groups, the private sector and other relevant stakeholders in the implementation of the strategic plan and achieving its global forest goals;

Endorses the timeline for the next reporting cycle to the Forum for the period 2024–2026,⁸ establishes the advisory group on reporting to the Forum, in accordance with the terms of reference contained in the note by the Secretariat to the Forum at its eighteenth session,⁹ and decides to complete the work of the advisory group on reporting to the Forum in 2026;

⁸Presented by the Forum secretariat at the expert group meeting held in Nairobi from 20 to 22 June 2023 (see www.un.org/esa/forests/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Note-EGM-reporting-timeline-online-tool.pdf).

⁹E/CN.18/2023/5, annex.

Takes note of the amended format for national reporting, entrusts the Forum secretariat with finalizing the format, in close consultation with the advisory group on reporting to the Forum, and encourages Forum members to submit voluntary national reports using this format;

Requests the Forum secretariat:

To disseminate relevant information among members regarding the preparation of voluntary national reports in a timely manner;

Consult with the advisory group on reporting to the Forum to make use of information received in the next reporting cycle on the transparent development of a short, concise Global Forest Goals Report in close consultation with member organizations of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, within existing resources;

Within existing resources, to conduct capacity-building activities, jointly with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and other partners, on facilitating the exchange of information related to monitoring, assessment and reporting on the global forest goals and providing assistance in preparing their national reports, and innovative techniques, technology and knowledge management, utilizing virtual and hybrid means where feasible;

Invites the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and its member organizations:

To continue the ongoing work on the global core set of forest-related indicators, in particular all tier 3 indicators;

To further enhance coordination, streamline reporting and data-sharing activities, and make use of the existing global publications and reports on forests;

To organize a joint workshop on international reporting on forests for focal points of all relevant member organizations of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests to enhance cooperation, coordination, coherence and synergies, in line with their respective mandates, and reduce the reporting burden on countries;

G.Actions related to the contributions of the Forum to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Invites members of the Forum:

To consider the inclusion of forest experts in their delegations at the high-level political forum on sustainable development and to key meetings of the three Rio conventions¹⁰ and other relevant international intergovernmental bodies as appropriate;

¹⁰United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Convention on Biological Diversity and United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa.

To enhance coordination, including among their respective national focal points for the Forum and the high-level political forum and with permanent missions in New York to highlight Sustainable Development Goal interlinkages in preparatory meetings and declarations of the high-level political forum;

To involve major groups and other relevant stakeholders in their voluntary national report and voluntary local report preparation processes, as appropriate;

To provide timely, concise and impactful input to the Bureau of the Forum to inform the Forum’s message to the high-level political forum regarding the cluster of Sustainable Development Goals to be discussed at the session of the high-level political forum the following year;

To enhance coordination within Governments and deliver consistent targeted messages on forests and Sustainable Development Goal interlinkages across Economic and Social Council bodies, the Rio conventions, other member organizations of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and other relevant intergovernmental forums in which they participate, in line with national priorities, and in a manner consistent with relevant mandates;

Invites the Bureau of the Forum, in a transparent and inclusive manner, and in consultation with the respective regions and Forum members:

To continue to provide, with the support of the Forum secretariat, timely inputs to the high-level political forum on Sustainable Development Goal interlinkages on behalf of the Forum and focus extra effort on Sustainable Development Goals Summit years and the years during which Goal 15 is under review, and ensure that these inputs are concise, targeted and actionable in the form of “key messages” that can be inserted “as is” into declarations of the high-level political forum, with supporting text attached as needed;

To work closely with Forum focal points in capitals and the permanent missions in New York to help to ensure that the Forum’s key messages are well reflected in declarations of the high-level political forum;

To engage with Forum members, major groups and other relevant stakeholders to take into account their views in the preparation of the input to the high-level political forum on behalf of the Forum;

Requests the Forum secretariat:

To assist and facilitate the work of the Bureau of the Forum and Forum members with respect to paragraph 20 above;

To continue to include in the documentation for sessions of the Forum a brief analysis of the extent to which Forum inputs were reflected in the high-level political forum declaration of the previous year;

To engage early on with the Forum focal points of members conducting high-level political forum voluntary national reviews in a given year to encourage the highlighting of Sustainable Development Goal interlinkages;

To enhance collaboration with the Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the Secretariat and the secretariats of the United Nations regional economic commissions to inform forest-related intergovernmental inputs to the high-level political forum, including for their regional forums on sustainable development and regional voluntary national reporting workshops;

To enhance collaboration on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals with the secretariats of the three Rio conventions and other relevant bodies and conventions on forest-related issues of mutual interest, in line with respective mandates;

To prepare a concise report and/or targeted communication products suitable for a variety of audiences to highlight the contributions of forests to the Sustainable Development Goals under review each year, their interlinkages, especially those with Goal 15, and the critical importance of achieving target 15.b to fully realize these contributions, drawing on the Global Forest Resources Assessment, the Global Forest Goals Report and relevant scientific studies;

Invites:

The Collaborative Partnership on Forests and its members to coordinate on “topline” key messages to the high-level political forum on forest interlinkages to the Sustainable Development Goals under review each year, including benefits of, and challenges and threats to, forests;

Major groups and other relevant stakeholders to share Sustainable Development Goal interlinkages by engaging early on in their countries’ voluntary national report and voluntary local report preparation processes and working closely with the “organizing partners” of their corresponding high-level political forum stakeholder group in preparing inputs to the high-level political forum process;

United Nations regional economic commissions to promote interlinkages between forests and the Sustainable Development Goals, both benefits and challenges, including through their regional forums on sustainable development;

Invites the secretariat of the Economic and Social Council, under the guidance of the President of the Council, to streamline and focus the annual template for intergovernmental inputs to the high-level political forum to facilitate concise, targeted and actionable inputs for inclusion in declarations of the high-level political forum;

H.Actions related to the communication and outreach strategy of the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030

Invites Forum members, the Forum secretariat, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and its members, regional and subregional organizations and major groups and other relevant stakeholders to continue their work in implementing the communication and outreach strategy of the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030, recognizing the importance of communication in actions related to education, awareness and advocacy, which cannot be reduced to the dissemination of information;

Requests the Forum secretariat:

To strengthen cost-effective use of available resources and existing and emerging communication options, including innovative and interactive methods, such as collaborations with influencers, surveys and contests;

To upgrade the structure and content of the Forum website, within existing resources;

To develop a communication and outreach plan to set out its proposed short-term and medium-term activities in support of implementing the objectives, messages and communication channels for different audiences related to the communication and outreach strategy, together with metrics for monitoring and evaluation, and share this directly with members for inputs;

To develop, with the support of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, short, sharp policy briefs on the thematic priorities of the Forum and continue its report on the global forest goals to highlight the benefits that forests and trees outside of forests bring for other global priorities and to raise awareness in sectors beyond forestry and among high-level decision makers;

To make greater use of its convening power to widen participation in the Forum’s high-level round tables to strengthen engagement beyond the forest sector;

To prominently post the annual key messages from the Bureau of the Forum to the high-level political forum on the Forum home page and provide accompanying infographics and other relevant communication products;

To develop communication products to raise awareness on the multiple social, economic and environmental values and benefits of forests in a balanced and integrated manner and on the important role of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women and girls and people in vulnerable situations;

To raise the visibility of the global forest goals by exploring the development of short, memorable titles, in consultation with members of the Forum, in a fully transparent and inclusive manner, for each of the six global forest goals, similar to those used for the Sustainable Development Goal icons;

In coordination with members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and their existing educational and youth-oriented programmes, to promote educational and youth outreach activities, both formal and informal, to help younger generations to understand the multiple social, economic and environmental values and benefits of forests and trees outside forests and learn about the strategic plan and its global forest goals;

To strengthen advocacy, for example by widening participation in the Forum’s high-level round tables and other actions that help high-level decision makers and senior government officials to understand better the contribution that forests and trees can make towards achieving wider policy goals;

Invites members of the Forum to explore options for identification of effective sustainable forest-related projects and interventions that contribute to the implementation of the strategic plan and share them through communication materials;

Encourages members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests engaged in the Global Forest Education initiative and members of the Forum to make full use of the opportunities it presents to raise awareness of the importance of forests and trees outside forests, and the role of sustainable forest management, through elementary (primary) and secondary school curricula, as well as promoting forest-related studies at the tertiary level;

Invites regional and subregional organizations to consider the possibility of developing regional communication and outreach plans with messages that reflect regional priorities and needs regarding forests and sustainable forest management;

Invites major groups and other relevant stakeholders to continue to use their voices to highlight concerns and propose practical solutions to problems associated with forests;

I.Actions related to the involvement of regional and subregional partners

Invites regional and subregional partners:

To sustain support to countries in their respective regions to prepare them for Forum and related sessions under other relevant conventions and frameworks;

To pursue engagement of regional or subregional financial institutions, such as regional development and investment banks, to expand collaboration on issues related to forests and to attract funding for their forest-related activities and participation in relevant meetings;

To explore options to organize regional and subregional partner-led initiatives to provide inputs to the Forum and implement regional, subregional and transboundary forestry initiatives leading to the achievement of the global forest goals;

To consider incorporating the contribution to the global forest goals in their respective plans, programmes and strategies, as appropriate;

To strengthen collaboration across sectors and facilitate partnerships to promote sustainable forest-based bioeconomy approaches and restoration of ecosystems, contributing to improved livelihoods, including through building capacities of women, youth, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, underlining the need to ensure sustainable patterns of consumption and production;

To engage major groups and other relevant stakeholders in their forest-related activities;

Invites the Forum:

To consider ways to enhance support to regional and subregional partners, such as United Nations regional economic commissions and forums, including by organizing capacity-development workshops on issues such as monitoring and reporting on the global forest goals and the Sustainable Development Goals, and training workshops on resource mobilization;

To consider including in its technical sessions specific meetings for regions, on a rotating basis, to share their experiences and issues related to the implementation of the United Nations forest instrument and the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030;

To engage more actively with regional financial institutions and development banks to build relationships and networking;

To promote cross-regional collaboration and information-sharing on success stories and best practices on the implementation of the United Nations forest instrument, the strategic plan and the global forest goals and include regional perspectives in potential future issues of the Global Forest Goals Report;

To promote interaction between relevant regional and subregional intergovernmental organizations with the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, major groups and other relevant stakeholders;

Also invites the Forum to enhance equitable representation of regional and subregional organizations from developing countries’ regions in the work of the Forum;

Further invites the Forum to consider ways and means to enhance the ability of the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network to cooperate with relevant intergovernmental regional and subregional organizations and their member countries, while respecting the guidelines and mandate of the Network;

Requests the Forum secretariat to continue collaboration with regional and subregional partners to better understand the needs of countries in those regions and identify actions to address the related gaps and problems;

J.Actions related to the involvement of major groups and other relevant stakeholders

Invites the Forum, the Forum secretariat and the Bureau of the Forum:

To promote the engagement of major groups and other relevant stakeholders in the work of the Forum;

To use sessions of the Forum as a platform for the exchange of ideas and best practices on how stakeholders could better capture action opportunities from forest-related instruments, processes, commitments and goals and track the progress therein;

To support countries with collecting data on best practices promoted by Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women and youth, on the implementation of the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030, including tree planting in line with sustainable forest management principles and ecosystem restoration;

To consider organizing a capacity-building workshop, subject to funding availability, on fundraising for major groups and other relevant stakeholders to implement the strategic plan and achieve the global forest goals, ensuring equitable geographical representation;

Invites members of the Forum:

To engage major groups and other relevant stakeholders in advancing sustainable forest management and sustainable forest-based bioeconomy approaches and restoration of ecosystems using a more holistic, multisectoral, livelihoods-oriented approach, underlining the need to ensure sustainable patterns of consumption and production;

To include and consider the contribution of major groups and other stakeholders in all relevant forest-related instruments, processes, commitments and goals and Global Forest Goals Reports;

To support major groups and other relevant stakeholders in mobilizing increased financial resources from all sources and at all levels to facilitate their engagement in the implementation of the strategic plan;

To consider ways to facilitate initiatives led by major groups and other relevant stakeholders to prepare their inputs to the sessions of the Forum;

Invites the Collaborative Partnership on Forests to engage in dialogue and examine joint activities with major groups and other relevant stakeholders to promote the implementation of the strategic plan;

Welcomes the establishment of the international arrangement on forests major groups internal coordination mechanism for implementation of the strategic plan and interaction and participation in the Forum;

Invites major groups and other relevant stakeholders:

To provide information regarding their existing internal coordination mechanism, and their suggestions and options for effectively improving their internal coordination, for consideration by the Forum;

To use the sessions of the Forum and related intersessional events as opportunities to explore ways for retaining the practice of consultation within major groups and other relevant stakeholders, without compromising the pace of processes or action;

To ensure that their internal coordination mechanism allows for a balanced representation of subject matter experts based on transparent and inclusive processes for effective participation in the Forum;

To develop a joint strategy and update their workplans in support of both Forum policy dialogue and implementation of the strategic plan;

To communicate their contributions to the strategic plan with their constituencies and the Forum;

To seize opportunities and secure resources for dialogue or action, including generating new and additional funding for sustainable forest management by enhancing the visibility of its benefits in different global agendas;

To facilitate the adequate and equitable representation of major groups and other stakeholders from developing countries, including from people in a vulnerable situation, in the work of the Forum;

To explore means to promote partnership with the large-scale forest industry groups;

II.Quadrennial programme of work of the Forum for the period 2025–2028

Decides to adopt the quadrennial programme of work of the Forum for the period 2025–2028, as contained in the annex to the present resolution.

Quadrennial programme of work of the United Nations Forum on Forests for the period 2025–2028

General guidance

The quadrennial programmes of work of the United Nations Forum on Forests represent its contribution to implementing the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030 and achieving the global forest goals and associated targets and provide a framework for setting the agendas for annual sessions within the quadrennium.

The quadrennial programme of work of the Forum for the period 2025–2028 includes two thematically linked bienniums: 2025–2026 (twentieth and twenty-first sessions of the Forum) and 2027–2028 (twenty-second and twenty-third sessions). Thematic priorities for each biennium will be based on the global forest goals and targets, taking into account the programme of the high-level political forum on sustainable development and relevant international forest-related developments. The thematic priorities cover all six global forest goals, starting with goals 1, 3 and 5 for the first biennium and goals 2, 4 and 6 for the second biennium.

The twentieth and twenty-second sessions of the Forum in 2025 and 2027 will be technical sessions that will include an interactive exchange of experiences and lessons learned on thematic priorities among members of the Forum, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and its member organizations, regional and subregional organizations and processes, and major groups and other relevant stakeholders. The interactive exchange will include consideration of the science-policy interface and cross-sectoral and emerging issues and will take into account youth, gender and regions perspectives.

The output of the twentieth and twenty-second sessions will be a concise Chair’s summary that may include proposals for consideration at the Forum’s policy sessions in 2026 and 2028. The tables below outline the general programme of work for the twentieth, twenty-first, twenty-second and twenty-third sessions of the Forum.

Table 1

Twentieth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests, 2025 (technical session)

Priorities in support of implementation of the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030: thematic priorities for the biennium 2025–2026 are global forest goals 1, 3 and 5

Other technical session items

Contributions of members of the Forum to implementing the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030: progress in the implementation of the outcomes of the midterm review of the international arrangement on forests; report on the outcomes of the country-led initiatives; new announcements of voluntary national contributions; updates on voluntary national contributions and their follow-up related to the thematic priorities

Contributions of and enhanced cooperation with partners to achieving the thematic priorities

Contributions of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, its member organizations and the United Nations system to achieving the thematic priorities; progress on the workplan of the Partnership

Contributions of regional and subregional organizations and processes to achieving the thematic priorities

iii

Contributions of major groups and other relevant stakeholders, including the private sector and philanthropic community, to achieving the thematic priorities; progress on major group workplans

Interlinkages between the global forest goals and targets and the Sustainable Development Goals under review by the high-level political forum on sustainable development in 2025 and 2026, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change¹² and the Paris Agreement,¹³ the Convention on Biological Diversity¹⁴ and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted at the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa,¹⁵ including the Land Degradation Neutrality Target Setting Programme, and other international forest-related developments

¹²United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1771, No. 30822.

¹³Adopted under the UNFCCC in FCCC/CP/2015/10/Add.1, decision 1/CP.21.

¹⁴United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1760, No. 30619.

¹⁵Ibid., vol. 1954, No. 33480.

Implementation of the communication and outreach strategy of the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030, including activities regarding the International Day of Forests 2025

Means of implementation, including operations and resources of the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network

Monitoring, assessment, and reporting: voluntary national reports; capacity-building for reporting; global core set of forest-related indicators; next Global Forest Goals Report

Forum trust fund

Emerging issues

Table 2

Twenty-first session of the United Nations Forum on Forests, 2026 (policy session)

Priorities in support of implementation of the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030: thematic priorities for the biennium 2025–2026 are global forest goals 1, 3 and 5

Other policy session items and consideration of relevant proposals contained in the Chair’s summary from the twentieth session

New announcements of voluntary national contributions

Progress in the implementation of the outcomes of the midterm review of the international arrangement on forests

Report on the outcomes of the country-led initiatives

Updates by stakeholders and partners on activities in support of the thematic priorities

Collaborative Partnership on Forests and its workplan

Regional and subregional organizations and processes

iii

Major groups and other relevant stakeholders, including the private sector and philanthropic community

Interlinkages between the global forest goals and targets and the Sustainable Development Goals under review by the high-level political forum on sustainable development in 2026 and 2027, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change¹⁶ and the Paris Agreement,¹⁷ the Convention on Biological Diversity¹⁸ and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted at the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa,¹⁹ including the Land Degradation Neutrality Target Setting Programme, and other international forest-related developments

¹⁶United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1771, No. 30822.

¹⁷Adopted under the UNFCCC in FCCC/CP/2015/10/Add.1, decision 1/CP.21.

¹⁸United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1760, No. 30619.

¹⁹Ibid., vol. 1954, No. 33480.

Implementation of the communication and outreach strategy of the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030, including activities regarding the International Day of Forests 2026

Means of implementation, including operations and resources of the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network

Monitoring, assessment and reporting: voluntary national reporting on progress in implementing the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030, the United Nations forest instrument and voluntary national contributions

Forum trust fund

Initial discussions on the final review of the effectiveness of the international arrangement on forests in achieving its objectives

Emerging issues

Table 3

Twenty-second session of the United Nations Forum on Forests, 2027 (technical session)

Priorities in support of implementation of the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030: thematic priorities for the biennium 2027–2028 are global forest goals 2, 4 and 6

Other technical session items

Contributions of members of the Forum to implementing the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030: progress in implementation of the outcomes of the midterm review of the international arrangement on forests; report on the outcomes of the country-led initiatives; new announcements of voluntary national contributions; updates on voluntary national contributions and their follow-up related to the thematic priorities

Contributions of and enhanced cooperation with partners to achieving the thematic priorities

Contributions of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, its member organizations and the United Nations system to achieving the thematic priorities; progress on the workplan of the Partnership

Contributions of regional and subregional organizations and processes to achieving the thematic priorities

iii

Contributions of major groups and other relevant stakeholders, including the private sector and philanthropic community, to achieving the thematic priorities; progress on major group workplans

Interlinkages between the global forest goals and targets and the Sustainable Development Goals under review by the high-level political forum on sustainable development in 2027 and 2028, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change²⁰ and the Paris Agreement,²¹ the Convention on Biological Diversity²² and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted at the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa,²³ including the Land Degradation Neutrality Target Setting Programme, and other international forest-related developments

²⁰United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1771, No. 30822.

²¹Adopted under the UNFCCC in FCCC/CP/2015/10/Add.1, decision 1/CP.21.

²²United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1760, No. 30619.

²³Ibid., vol. 1954, No. 33480.

Implementation of the communication and outreach strategy of the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030, including activities regarding the International Day of Forests 2027

Means of implementation, including operations and resources of the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network

Monitoring, assessment and reporting: voluntary national reporting; global core set of forest-related indicators

Forum trust fund

Emerging issues

Table 4

Twenty-third session of the United Nations Forum on Forests, 2028 (policy session)

Priorities in support of implementation of the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030: thematic priorities for the biennium 2027–2028 are global forest goals 2, 4 and 6

Other policy session items and consideration of relevant proposals contained in the Chair’s summary from the twenty-second session

New announcements of voluntary national contributions

Progress in the implementation of the outcomes of the midterm review of the international arrangement on forests

Report on the outcomes of the country-led initiatives

Updates by stakeholders and partners on activities in support of the thematic priorities

Collaborative Partnership on Forests and its workplan

Regional and subregional organizations and processes

iii

Major groups and other relevant stakeholders, including the private sector and philanthropic community

Interlinkages between the global forest goals and targets and the Sustainable Development Goals under review by the high-level political forum on sustainable development in 2028 and 2029, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change²⁴ and the Paris Agreement,²⁵ the Convention on Biological Diversity²⁶ and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted at the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa,²⁷ including the Land Degradation Neutrality Target Setting Programme, and other international forest-related developments

²⁴United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1771, No. 30822.

²⁵Adopted under the UNFCCC in FCCC/CP/2015/10/Add.1, decision 1/CP.21.

²⁶United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1760, No. 30619.

²⁷Ibid., vol. 1954, No. 33480.

Implementation of the communication and outreach strategy of the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030, including activities regarding the International Day of Forests 2028

Means of implementation, including operations and resources of the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network

Forum trust fund

Preparations for the final review in 2030 of the effectiveness of the international arrangement on forests in achieving its objectives

High-level segment

Adoption of the programme of work of the Forum for the biennium 2029–2030

Emerging issues

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

I.Midterm review of the effectiveness of the international arrangement on forests in achieving its objectives

A.Actions related to the United Nations Forum on Forests and its members

B.Actions related to the secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests

C.Actions related to the Collaborative Partnership on Forests

D.Actions related to the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network

E.Actions related to the trust fund for the United Nations Forum on Forests

F.Actions related to the implementation of the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030

G.Actions related to the contributions of the Forum to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

H.Actions related to the communication and outreach strategy of the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030

I.Actions related to the involvement of regional and subregional partners

J.Actions related to the involvement of major groups and other relevant stakeholders

II.Quadrennial programme of work of the Forum for the period 2025–2028

Table of contents

Who cites this mandate in the budget?